Lorraine's Story

Hi, my name is Megan Johnson. I am the 40 year old mother of fantastic young men, my 16 year old twins Luke and Max Johnson. I unfortunately suffered a Brain Injury called Wernicke Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS) on June 30th 2016. My Brain Injury on June 30th 2016 caused me to have to ReLearn how to live again! I forgot how to walk, I forgot who in my life had died, I forgot my life! I am in the lucky 20% that somehow recover from this Brain Injury.

Not that I am 100% recovered, but I am up and walking, talking AND living with my twins again!

In my twins short 16 years they have already been thru so much grief and hurt. I absolutely wish I would have handled finding their dad Chris dead and finding my own dad Ted dead better then I did! And losing my younger brother Adam to death did not help make life any easier. I feel so embarrassed for the pain that now I've caused my twins. Max and Luke are insanely fantastic respectable young men and I am so lucky to get this fresh start with this new forgetful brain I've got!

Instead of going to counseling and therapy I unfortunately numbed myself to my grief and got myself addicted to opiates. Once I could not afford my habit I finally turned to the methadone clinic to get off pills. I wish I would have listened to the counselors at the clinic and not have continued to drink alcohol while taking methadone.

First I was an in Iowa Methodist Hospital in Des Moines Iowa when this all first happened. The incredible staff at Younkers Rehabilation at Iowa Methodist got me up walking again, and remembering who was who. From there I was transferred to NeuroRestorative in Carbondale Illinois. That was a inpatient drug rehabilation that helped me work extremely hard and retaught me so incredibly much. Very patient incredible therapists and staff. Lastly I got transferred back to my state, Iowa, to another Brain Injury Rehabilation called Community NeuroRehab. The staff there helped me continue to recover and get ready to live with my twins again! And here we are!! All living under the same roof together! It's been a rough and crazy year, but we are all working towards what our new normal will be!!

I am still not the mother they spent their last 16 years with. My memory is nonexistent, I forget everything constantly. My arms are always in a painful tingling thru to my finger tips. I feel extremely anxious now, overwhelmed by anxiety. I drive myself crazy. With my twins hometown of Huxley we are slowly attempting to get back to life. I am working back at their Ballard high school in the lunchroom as a cashier. I am luckily out of rehab and my twins and I are finally living back in Huxley Iowa. Luke and Max had to go to Omaha Nebraska for their Sophmore year in high school. They were living with my wonderful supportive mother who lives in Omaha. I caused our house and our vehicle to get sold because of my Brain Injury. We are living in an apartment now, but looking for a new house back in their hometown of Huxley Iowa! Since we have been back in Huxley we have been welcome with such open, caring, supportive arms! We are all happy to be home(ish)! My twins are trying their best, in the ackward teenage years, to readjust to being back in Huxley Iowa. And to live this new constantly forgetful mother they've got! I am also trying to get used to this new me, brain and body. It's crazy to have your hands and arms in a constant deep, tingly painful sleep. Please keep my incredible loving strong twins in your thoughts and prayers. We need all the well wishes and support we can get!